Our Times Together
by AGirlWhoLikesToSayHi
Summary: Ch. 1: The day they met was in a hospital.  A joyous day that was. A collection of drabbles involving the generals and other characters from Digimon Xros Wars.
1. When We Met

**Disclaimer: **I want to get this guy out of the way, so remember, this counts for the potential chapters to come - I do not own Digimon or it's characters. They are the property of Bandai or whatever company place thingy that isn't owned by me. I'm not responsible enough for that.

A/N: This is one of the many drabbles that I have been making for Digimon Xros Wars. If I get a good enough response from readers, I'll post them daily until I run out. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>When We Met<strong>

"What are you doing?"

Taiki Kudou met the golden eyes of a red-haired girl about his own age. Nodding to the last person to come through the door, he finally let it close shut to address her. He grinned widely at her with his own gray stare, "Exactly what it looked like."

"Hm," she poked at his recently acquired arm cast, wearing a pair of worn overalls and a red undershirt as opposed to his olive green scrubs and ever-present goggles. A moment of thought later, and she returned his smile with her own. "That's nice, but how did you hurt your arm?"

"Oh, this?" Taiki chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "I stopped two of my neighbors from crashing their bikes into each other."

"Well, that's reckless. You'll exhaust yourself if you do too much stuff like that," the red head huffed, hands on hips. She leaned in closer so that their noses were just two inches away from touching. "Have we met before?"

"…Maybe?" he shrugged, ignoring the small ache that came with it from his healing right arm.

"You're in class 2A, a year above me!" she realized. She took a moment to remember his name. "Taiki-senpai."

"S-senpai?" Taiki blushed, embarrassed by the honorific. "Just Taiki is fine."

"Taiki…kun?" she ventured.

"Just Taiki."

"Okay," she giggled, singsongy. "_Just Taiki._ I'm Akari Hinomoto, class 1B. My mama's having another baby, so I'm going to be another big sister to my new sibling."

"Another?" they were back in the child's ward he had left to explore the rest of the hospital.

"Yeah, I already have two younger brothers, so the new baby might be another or even a little sister. Isn't that great?" Akari puffed her chest out proudly, glad to be the oldest. "What about you?"

"My dad travels a lot," he explained. "So, he and Mom haven't really thought of having another child after me."

"Wow, must be lonely."

"Naw," Taiki shook his head, dismissing the idea. "There are the other neighborhood kids and my classmates. Even when I can't hang out with them, I have a pet."

"Really," the mention of an animal interested her. "What kind?"

"A lizard."

"A… lizard?"

"Yeah, he's a chameleon who likes to turn red a lot; I named him Shoto."

"Sounds cool," Akari sighed, trying to imagine the reptile. "I wish Mama and Papa would let me have a pet."

"Why not?"

"It's enough trouble for them to take care of my brothers and me, so taking care of an animal isn't really on their plans," she smiled wistfully.

"If you could, what would you want?"

"A bunny rabbit," Akari replied automatically, a tell-tale sign that she had been thinking about it for a while. "He could be pink for all I care, and I'd give him as much tender, love, and care as possible."

"Who knows, maybe you'll get one like that someday," Taiki replied, having a feeling that it might just come true.

"Aka'i-nee-chan!"

"Nee-san!"

Two small children, one still in his toddler years, trotted up to the red-head as fast as their little legs could carry them. These kids were undoubtedly Akari's brothers. As the younger one took the time to catch his breath, the taller broke the news to his sister, "Nee-san! Mama's had the baby. We can see her now!"

"Oh, really?" her eyes sparkled at the news. Without warning, she turned to Taiki and grasped his hands. "Did you hear that? My baby sister's been born!"

"Haha, good for you," he returned her enthusiasm with his own big smile. "You should go then."

"Right," ushering her brothers ahead of her, she began to run towards her mother's room. As an afterthought, she whirled around and yelled to her new acquaintance. "Taiki! Go take a rest! Just cuz it's only your arm, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt as much as any other injury. I'll be back to tell you what my baby sister's name is and how she's doing, so wait for me!"

"Ah, okay," Taiki wasn't expecting something like that as Akari and her siblings rounded a corner. "Bye…"

This was the first or many encounters between Akari Hinomoto and Taiki Kudou, now friends. Their contrasting personalities would keep them together and level. With Taiki's give-up-my-life-attitude and Akari's think-this-through skepticism, the two were a perfect team, so good that Akari appointed herself as Taiki's manager due to him being requested frequently to help out in clubs or activities. And maybe, something more came out of it, but they just don't realize it. Not yet anyway.

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><p>AN: So, yeah. My view on how Akari and Taiki met. I hope I got their characters down right. Tell me what you think? Review? ...Please? If you do, you'll find another one before the weekend rolls around.


	2. When You Were Gone

Disclaimer: And you know it.

A/N: Today's drabble will be short. What did Akari and Zenjirou, two unlikely friends, do between Taiki and Shoutmon leaving for the Digiworld and us finding them sighing on a grassy hill?

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><p><strong>When You Were Gone<strong>

"So, how long has it been, Akari-kun?"

"Fifteen minutes," Akari snapped her phone shut as she and Zenjirou Tsurugi walked next to the railing overlooking the harbor. "I wonder how many days that is in Digimon time."

"Well, yesterday, we'd been gone for about four hours human time, but in the Digital world, we were there for 2 months, making that around 60 days" the kenshi counted on his fingers, doing the math in his head. "So, for every 4 minutes, a day passes in the Digital world. Which means Taiki-san has been there for almost 4 days, and Nene-san and Kiriha-san haven't seen him in 285 days, or 9 and a half months. Meaning, we've been gone for a really long time. ...Hmm, what is it? Is there something on my face?"

"You're actually really smart, aren't you, Zenjirou?" Akari asked, having been gawking at his quick deduction.

"Not exactly," he scratched his cheek, slightly embarrassed. "You know how I'm really good at fixing up Ballistamon? Well, that's because my Dad's sort of a mechanic, and he's taught me a couple of things, including the statistics on the life expectancy of machines and the exact amount of things you'd need to fix it."

"That's still pretty impressive," tired of walking, she sat on the grassy slope next to the sidewalk. Akari sighed, eyes filled with worry. "Nene and Kiriha-kun have been wondering where we all went for over nine months. I hope Taiki found them already."

"And the rest of Xros Heart," he chose to lie down by her, looking into the seemingly peaceful blue sky.

"Yeah, even if Shoutmon can Super Digivolve, even he can't do everything by himself."

"Here's to hoping then," Zenjirou tried and failed to work up a reassuring smile, sitting up to be level with her.

"Yeah," looking out into the great view of the bridge and the building across the sea, they were unable to calm their minds that were racing for possible events that were occurring at this moment. What if someone was hurt? Or captured? Or separated? Or lost? Or worst of all…dead? Wishing more than anything for all of their friends to be safe, the currently powerless duo sighed. Having hope and faith was all they could do.

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><p>AN: Yup, short. Just a small friendship thing. Next up: Two generals getting a wardrobe change.


	3. When We Realized Who We Are, Together

Disclaimer: And how.

A/N: When and how Kiriha and Nene got a costume change. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>When We Realized Who We Are, Together<strong>

"Why are you here?" Kiriha Aonuma crossed his arms, facing Nene Amano with an air of calm. Just recently to the surprise of both humans, a deserted shopping mall had materialized in a changing Zone, so both took the opportunity to benefit from it.

Among the racks of clothes , the fountain-hair-styled girl smiled, gesturing towards their worn and dirty clothes, "Same as you. I need a new outfit."

"Hm," he grunted, turning back to an interesting, dark blue jacket.

"Your hair has gotten longer," Nene mused, a playful expression on her face.

"It has been five months since that guy disappeared," Kiriha explained, a bitter tone in his voice. "I haven't really been thinking about my hair."

"I think it looks nice," she commented, taking out a frilly pink skirt. "Very handsome."

"Whatever," he snorted, finding a nice black shirt to wear under the jacket. Much better than his lighter shirt and vest, which couldn't blend well with the dark surroundings of this reconstructed Digital World. The blonde glanced at what the violet-eyed brunette had chosen. "Is that appropriate for this war?"

"It's cute," she pouted, having found a small white top and matching boots.

"It's not practical," Kiriha stated, finding a comfortable pair of jeans and all-terrain hiking shoes.

"We're not in the same army," she argued lightly, not really trying to prove her point. "You can't tell me what to do."

"I wasn't telling you to do anything," he dismissed her, rolling his eyes. "I was just making a suggestion."

"Sure you were," she copied the action and draped all of her new attire on one arm, aside from holding her boots in the other hand. Turning away, she walked towards a set of door she had most certainly not entered through.

"Where are you going?" he asked, unable to resist.

"I'm not leaving yet, if that's what you're wondering, Kiriha-kun," Nene assured him, sending the taller teen a wink. "But, underwear isn't in this section, silly."

No one could say that the stoic Kiriha Aonuma blushed. They had no proof to verify it ever happened. One could imply that if this aforementioned occurrence had transpired, it meant that through all of the times they had been with one another during their year in the Digital World, something had taken place between them. They were no longer acquaintances, brought together to fight their enemies using their Xros Loaders. They could no longer be considered friends, having been together long enough to understand what the other was feeling or meant.

They weren't a couple, oh no. That could never happen. Not between them. Not while a war was being waged. But at the back of their minds, in a place filled with hope, a small part of them disagreed with their initial answer. Maybe, they were more than just friends. None of them would admit that of course, but possibly in due time they would. All, in due time.

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><p>AN: Not much of a reason than a somewhat thought out explanation. Next chapter, we meet a certain two-toned haired boy who happens to be a relative of our favorite redhead. Possibly. Just speculation on my part. See ya'll tomorrow.


	4. When He Met You

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be doing this if I did own Digimon.

A/N: It may just be me, but I saw a bit of resemblance going on between Tagiru and Akari. And I like both of them, Akari more that Tagiru, but hey. The kid's still cute/adorable. Whatevers. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>When He Met You<strong>

"Onee-san, where are you taking me?" whined a brunette with a red-streak of hair at the center of his spiky mess.

"Oh hush, Tagiru," Akari nagged, continuing to lead him down the sidewalk. "Auntie said that since you're new to this area, it would be good if I could show you around."

"Humph, I'd be able to find my way around here by myself."

"Yes," she agreed, thinking back at her cousin's tendency to do things by himself. "But it'll be faster if I help you out."

"Tch," Tagiru Akashi rolled his eyes, weaving his fingers behind his head casually. This earned him a hard knock to the head. "Owowowow! What was that for?"

"Show some respect for your elders," truthfully, Akari was just a few months older than the boy, but she wasn't going to mention that if she wanted to prove her point. The red-head relaxed as they came into view of a park. "Look we're here. Now, don't be rude to my friends or you'll regret it."

"Got it," he groaned, rubbing the growing bump on his scalp. As the two relatives came near a tall fenced area, the sound of a clean swoosh of a net attracted Tagiru's attention. "Basketball?"

"The score is now 2 to 2," Nene declared, as two opposing teams of two took a moment to rest, wiping the sweat from their brows.

"Man, they caught up already," Zenjirou cursed, his usually explosive military cut tied back for convenience.

"Kiriha and Yuu make a good team," Taiki shrugged, dribbling the ball over to the other side of the court. Said persons were currently strategizing to finally turn the game in their favor. "We need to… Ah, Akari, you're here!"

All people inside the fence turned to greet the new arrivals. Nene met her first, giving her a hug that she returned, "What took you so long?"

"This guy was dragging his feet," Akari introduced. "He's my cousin, Tagiru Akashi. Please be nice to him. Or at least tolerate him. He can get a bit annoying sometimes."

"Hey!" the two-toned boy snapped out of his trance. He had been spellbound by how pretty Nene was. How could his cousin have such a cute friend?

"I bet he isn't that bad, Akari," momentarily pausing the game, Taiki walked up to receive a big hug from his childhood friend. Breaking away from it after a minute, he stretched out his hand for Tagiru to shake. "I'm Taiki Kudou. Akari told us that you've just moved here."

"Yeah, and she's told me a lot about you," he grinned knowingly, receiving yet another bump on his forehead. His cousin then proceeded to introduce the rest of the group, daring him to comment further.

Taiki chuckled, not understanding the 'joke', "Hey, Zenjirou. Do you mind switching out with Tagiru for the rest of the game?"

"I don't really mind," the kenshi shrugged, neglecting to mention that he had been getting tired.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Taiki-san?" Yuu frowned, raising an eyebrow at the boy's Gum Face t-shirt. "It doesn't look like he'll even the odds much."

"What did you just say to me, blondie?" Tagiru fumed, getting up his face. Yuu failed to fall for the advance and remained calm.

"I said what I said," Yuu crossed his arms superiorly.

"Well, just you wait!" Tagiru declared, falling back next to former general of Xros Heart. "Taiki-san and I are going to win!"

Their game ended like it always did when Taiki and Kiriha were pitted against each other. A draw. The group's newest addition adamantly rejected this decision, stating that his foul shot should never have been called as such. Well, that was Tagiru Akashi for you. Never accepting a loss.

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><p>AN: Yes, I do think they're cousins. Who knows? Maybe the writers of the show will make it happen. Possibly. Maybe. Not likely. Okay, the next few chapters take place in the present, or alternate timeline kind of present. Some new kids are joining the hunt. Or, are they even new at all?


	5. When She Joined Them

Disclaimer: If you think I do, I don't. Plain and simple and rather obvious.

A/N: So, the next few drabbles will be a connected storyline that will go on for about three or four chapters. If you don't know who the three kids are in the beginning of this story, watch the first few minutes of episode... (searches Google) 30. Those are Akari's three younger siblings. I made up the names though... Enjoy.

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><p><strong>When She Joined Them<strong>

"Ugh!" 9-yr-old Aoiki Hinomoto clenched his game controller tighter, resisting the urge to throw it to the ground, and turned to the taller figure sitting right next to him. "Why are you so good at video games Akari-nee-chan?"

"Who cares?" 10-yr-old Akane Hinomoto rested his game controller on his crossed legs and looked over his younger brother's shoulder. "Onee-chan, be my partner next!"

"No, be mine!" the bespectacled Aoiki interjected.

"Akari-nee is my partner," 7-yr-old Anako Hinomoto grounded out on the right of her older sister.

The object of their attention glanced at each of them incredulously, "You guys _do_ know I'm only playing this 'til my hair is dry, right?"

"But why~?" Akane whined, wishing for his sister to stay.

"I'm going to see my friend today," Akari explained, starting a new round. "She hasn't been feeling well for a few days and didn't go to school."

"You mean Meguchi-san?" Anako asked, using her usual button-mashing strategy.

"Yeah, her mom says that she's been acting really depressed and lethargic," the 13-yr-old sighed, continuing to gather points. "She rarely gets out of bed and isn't eating much. It has me really worried."

"You're hair will dry on the way, so why don't you just go no-OW!" Aoiki took a moment to massage the new sore on his head and glare at his older brother who had innocently returned his attention to the game.

"Oh, you're right," Akari dropped her controller, disregarding the rest of the round. "Thanks Aoi-kun. I'm going to go change now."

Akane once again whapped his brother on the back of the head, "Thanks a lot, bro."

A few minutes later and after a quick good bye to her siblings and mother, Akari Hinomoto took off down the street in her red slip on shoes. Meguchi's house was only a few blocks away, but the red-head felt like running would dry her hair faster. Less than a few yards away from rounding the corner onto her friend's street, she ties up her red locks into her signature twin pigtails. At her knock, Akari is met with the aging face of her friend's mother.

"Oh, Akari-chan!" she looked surprised, but her expression was tired. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I just decided to visit today," Akari explained. "I forgot to phone in, hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. Not at all. Come on in, it would do Meguchi some good to see one of her friends. Lord knows she's been lonely being stuck up in her room for days."

"Right, the sight of me will definitely make her smile," she stated confidently as she replaced her shoes with the usual house sandals. Having memorized the layout of Meguchi's house from her many visits, Akari glides up the stairs swiftly and down the hall to the right door. At her touch, it creaked open slowly, revealing a dark room barely lit by the screen of a computer. Sensing something was wrong, the red head knocks noticeably on the door frame, testing the waters. "How are you feeling? …Megu-chan?"

Even her usual nickname did not shake Akari's friend from her stupor standing in front of the monitor. Meguchi reached towards the artificial brilliance. As her fingers touched the glass, a burst of data blew out from the tech and began to envelop the girl. Akari, shocked, called out to her desperately, "MEGUCHI!"

The blonde's feet began to lift off the ground slowly, bringing her body closer to the computer. Instinctively, the former manager raced forward, grabbing hold of Meguchi's torso and grounding her. Mind racing, Akari's brain immediately realized that this was a Digimon related problem and commanded her hand to grab her phone. Straining to hold on to her friend with her with her right arm, she speed dialed one and placed her cell next to her ear, hearing it ring.

Miles away in a park sitting on a bench with his lower classmen, Taiki answered his phone after the third ring, "Hello, Akari?"

"Taiki!" Akari would have been crying tears of joy if it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't let go of her friend. Gritting her teeth, she tightened her grip on the blonde. "Help! My friend is going into Digi – KYAAAA!"

"Akari? AKARI!" the cell clattered to the floor next to the unconscious form of Meguchi, who had been thrown down at the last possible second. Akari had been sucked into the computer, taking her to the only place she could have gone. DigiQuartz.

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><p>AN: So, yeah. I'm being mean and leaving you with a cliffhanger. The real kicker is that you won't know what's happened to her until AFTER the next chapter. That one is going to introduce a certain swordsman of ours. Guesssssssss~! Well, nevermind. You already know who it is.


	6. When He Joined Them

Disclaimer: Why do we need these things when it's a big NO DUH when someone posts something on a site called Fanfiction?

A/N: Whew, this is my longest chapter yet! So, this is a continuation of last chapter, but this drabble (as I stated in my last A/N) does not focus around Akari. Instead, it focuses on, you guessed it, Zenjirou! Enjoy.

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><p><strong>When He Joined Them<strong>

He was wearing pants. Good, he didn't want to end up as the boy who was so excited that he ran out of his house without his pants on. Zenjirou Tsurugi looked atop his bed for his needed equipment. His bag was filled with kendo necessities, and next to it was his sword wrapped in a sturdy clothe and tied shut with a bit of string. But, something was missing. Catching his reflection in the mirror, it came to him. One hair band later, his explosive brown locks were tied up at the top of his head.

Call him girly all you like, it was convenient that way. Zenjirou hefted his bag over his right shoulder and scooped up his sword, case and all. Is there enough time to get lunch in… Nope. He's going to be late! The kenshi fumbles down the stairs, running past the kitchen where his dad was currently lounging.

"I'm off!" he called back as he threw his slippers off and exchanged them for his reliable sneakers.

"Okay, be safe," were the last words he heard spoken from his old man as he rushed out of his front door. Today was an important day for Zenjirou. No, it wasn't some sort of high-leveled tournament, not an official one in any case. He and his buddies thought it would be a good idea to hold a contest to showcase their skills and decide who would be captain next year after their 3rd year leader graduated. Assured of his own strength, the middle-schooler reveled at the idea of commanding the kendo club.

"Zenjirou-san, glad you could make it," one of his friends waved him over to the already gathered group.

"Sorry I'm late," he dropped his stuff and sucked in a deep breath to fill his lungs with the precious air he had forgotten to collect on his sprint over to the local park.

"Nah," another boy dismissed, plopping his own bag down. "Most of us just got here."

"Phew, that's a relief," Zenjirou threw his head back, recovering his energy and soaking up the afternoon sun. Pulling a 180, his easygoing expression morphed into a glaring challenge as he began to remove his equipment. "So, shall we start?"

The others nodded and followed the action. Soon, the boys were all dressed properly and raring to go. It would be a simple knockout session. If you land three points on your opponent or knock them down to the ground, you win. The loser could only challenge other losers. Simple. And with twelve members in their club, Zenjirou would make quick work of all of them. Yes, as the former strongest kenshi in middle school in Koutou, the adolescent was assured of his victory.

Not even 10 minutes later, Zenjirou was facing his final opponent, hearing the cheers for both sides quite clearly through the cloth and wood of his helmet. The runner-up for third place was now acting as a referee, holding a colored hanky in each hand, "Match…Start!"

_Ring, Ring, Ring!_ "Sorry, that's mine."

The entire team was thrown off balance as Zenjirou nonchalantly turned away from his challenger and removed his head gear so he could answer his cell phone, "Hello? Oh, hi, Taiki-san! What's u… Something happened to Akari-kun? ...Well, you're right. I am nearby. ...Okay, I'll see what I can do. ...Get here quick, bye."

Ending the call, the kenshi began to throw as much of his equipment back into his bag as possible, choosing to leave on his hakama. Wrapping up his sword, he faced his bewildered club and bowed apologetically, "Forgive me for this, but one of friends has gotten into some trouble, and I can't just ignore a friend in need. I concede defeat to you, sempai. Please become a great captain."

With that, he hurried off towards the direction of Akari's neighborhood. From what Taiki had told him, she had probably been visiting a friend when something bad occurred. He knew, from his occasional visits, that the only friend that lived near her was Meguchi. Now, she was a looker, with her golden ringlets and baby blue eyes… Okay, Zenjirou, this is no time to be daydreaming about a girl who could be potentially missing along with one of your very good friends inside what could only be DigiQuartz, a parallel dimension that you have yet to visit because usually that sort of weird stuff happens near Taiki and his group. Knocking on Akari's friend's house, he exchanged a formal greeting to the older woman that opened the door.

"Hello, Meguchi-chan's mother," he'd forgotten their surname, but now wasn't the time to worry about such trivial things. "I was wondering if Akari-kun had stopped by here by any chance? She wasn't answering her phone."

"Why yes, she did, but she left in quite a hurry," the woman was smiling, as if relieved about something. "But it's all right I suppose. My dear Meguchi has been feeling much better. Did you know she hasn't been to school in days? My, my. I could not find a single way of lifting my own child's spirit, but Akari-chan did. What a sweet girl."

"Zenjirou-san," Meguchi came up from behind her mother holding a familiar pink item. "I don't know why Akari-chan went so quickly, but she forgot her cell phone in my room. When you see her, please return it."

"Of course," he accepted the flip phone graciously and left without another word. There was no time for fawning over the current object of your affection when a good friend of yours was in danger. If what he'd heard from Taiki, Yuu, and Tagiru's recounts about the DigiQuartz were correct, there would still be some data lingering around. Maybe he could hitch a ride on a small portal and gain access to the other side. Maybe if he was lucky. He could just wait for Taiki and the others to get here, but that wasn't productive. Then Plan C it was.

"Hey, you invisible piece of snotty data monster!" time to instigate the unknown party. Thank heavens no human was around to see his yelling match with the wall behind Meguchi's house. "Are you so weak that you kidnap innocent girls? Haha, I bet you couldn't last five seconds around someone like me!"

"_Wanna bet?_" a whirlpool of data materialized under his feet, sucking him in instantly. The tactic had worked. Now, hopefully, he'd be able to hold off whatever Digimon it was that kidnapped Akari until backup arrived. All he was armed with was his wooden sword. Brilliant. This was turning out to be a fun day.

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><p>AN: Yes, I changed Zenjirou's hairstyle into a short ponytail (imagine a spiky topknot). Also, any idea what kind of Digimon would be malicious enough to pray on the heartstrings of innocent middle-school maidens? Seriously, throw ideas at me (not too hard though, I bruise easy). It helps. Fact, I have yet to actually write the next chapter, so it'll go either way on whether or not you'll be able to read it tomorrow. Sorry! ^^;


	7. When They Joined Them

Disclaimer: I haven't been mistakenly caught yet, so I'm obviously doing all right.

A/N: I now present to you the most troubling and longest chapter I've ever done so far for this collection. Some advice had me rethinking how I wrote, so I worked sorta hard on this one. This is the last drabble in the Joined Them trilogy. Besides the title, **bold **indicates speaking in unison. And _italics_ are noises and background dialogue. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>When They Joined Them<strong>

Waking up completely disoriented is a sure sign of something gone amiss. Finding yourself in a dull, eerie hued place that was a dangerous parallel to the real world is a warning of something treacherous abound. Staring into the cold eyes of a red hooded figure as it aimed a sharp blade near your throat was a clear message that you have apparently been taken by a creature akin to the grim reaper. A younger, naïve Akari would have shrieked and wailed at the sight of the malicious Digimon, but she was older and more experienced now. She couldn't cower at the face of peril when she knew someone would come for her. Specifically, Taiki, but the steel that loomed over her had her hoping for anyone at the moment.

"Who are you?" she asked and cringed at the slight quaver in her voice.

"I'm a bit annoyed if that's what you're wondering," it sighed and lowered its weapon just a bit to shake its head, a motion which shifted the golden eye chain around its neck. "You stopped me from collecting the depression from a poor girl's heart. Now where am I supposed to get my power? It's obvious that you have no insecurities unlike that gloomy friend of yours."

"Megu-chan was only gloomy because of you!" Akari snapped. She wished so dearly that she was close enough to punch the evil being. "Who. Are. You?"

"Foolish human, I am…" the ghoul turned its head away from her, he heard something that she couldn't. A moment later, it chuckled sadistically and raised the scythe above its head. "Wanna bet?"

It brought the weapon down against the air with a swift _woosh_, a portal of data appeared and dumped out a familiar brunette and his equipment. One strangled _oof! _later, he recovered as quickly as he can to unwrap his sword to face his new adversary, "You shall now face the might of Zenjirou Tsurugi, you… grim reaper… sickle and chain wielding… red and gray cloaked… beast…? …Ah, Akari-kun, you're all right!"

"Took you long enough, Zenjirou," Akari groaned as she edged herself away from the Digimon. When she was sure that it was not planning on cutting her head off again just yet, she rushed to her friend's side and took a defensive pose. No longer were the days that she hid behind someone. She ignored her racing heartbeat and glared at the Digimon. "I'll ask you one more time. Who are you?"

"Do you two believe that you are in the position to ask me anything?" the reaper swung the weighted part of its chain and narrowed its cold blue eyes, it obviously had a grin hidden underneath the shadows of its hood. "I am Phantomon, harbinger of death! Reaper of souls! Collector of despair! Tsk, no signs of despair from you. A bit of fear, though. Shall I make it grow? Diabolic Star!"

The eyeball-like weight was suddenly immersed in a dark flame and thrown swiftly in their direction. Akari and Zenjirou jumped away from each other to dodge the attack. The large crater formed from the near hit had them shocked and breathless. With an opportunity presented, Zenjirou took a stance and brought his shinai in front of him. Before he could strike, Akari grasped him by the collar and dragged him away to the relative safety of an eroded piece of wall. The red head glared at her friend, "Are you stupid? You don't have the Rare Star Sword. That piece of wood isn't going to do _anything_ against Phantomon!"

"I still have to try, don't I?" the kenshi argued as he tried to free his shirt from her iron grip as the reaper drew closer to their shelter.

"Of course not!" Akari hissed; she rubbed her forehead to diminish the growing headache. This guy had effect on her. If only Taiki were here, he would think of something brilliant. "There has to be another way. Do you think we could make a run for it? We could probably elude him until Taiki and the others arrive."

"Ignorant children, always with their hope and faith in others," Phantomon sneered, a trace of disgust in his tone. The two ducked their heads just in time to keep them from being lobed off by his scythe. "This Taiki, I'll have the pleasure of ending him and his friends after watching their expressions when they find you both dead."

"You'll do no such thing!"

_Whaaapack!_

"My helmet!"

"Shut up, idiot, and run!"

"The hunt is on I suppose," the reaper Digimon muttered, his voice laced with malice as he skewered the kendo helmet.

"Please tell me that you have reception in Digiquartz!" Zenjirou huffed as he rang alongside his friend after tossing her phone back.

"Nope, no bars. You?"

"No good here, either."

"Just great," Akari muttered as they turned into an alleyway. "Do you think there's a way for us to get to the real world?"

"Do you see a Xros Loader on me?" he snapped back. "I searched all over Shinonome for that old clock guy! Nothing, nada, zip, came out of it except for missing a bunch of club meetings."

"You just weren't looking in the right place."

"Wha?" the two came to a sudden stop, nearly falling over as they turned back to stare at the owner of the voice. An elderly man was hunched over, supported by a cane as he stroked his beard with an unreadable look on the visible parts of his face. The Clockmon by his side mirrored his expression.

"Ah, the clock shop owner!" Zenjirou pointed at the man wildly.

"Yes, yes," the man dismissed while he reached into the secret pocket inside his vest to produce two familiar items colored a pure white. "It has come to my attention that you two are looking to join the hunt. The game is always looking for new players."

"What? How can you call something trying to kill us a game?" Akari seethed, ready to relieve the itching fists.

"Oh, but every game has its ups and downs," the clock maker explained neutrally as he extended his arm out to them. "I suggest you take these now."

"Come on, Akari-kun!" Zenjirou shook his friend lightly. "We might not get another chance like this!"

"Okay, fine!"

Reluctantly, she reached for a device in sync with the kenshi. Fingers curling around the cold metal, a bright light shimmered from beneath her palm on contact and morphed the neutral white into cheery amber. Akari Hinomoto was now the proud owner of her very own Xros Loader. The deep ginger glanced at Zenjirou as he admired his own earthly brown one.

"Careful now, they will soon arrive."

"They?" But the elder had already disappeared. A moment later, a round of cackling echoed off through the air.

"Miss me?" Phantomon emerged from the shadow of a rundown building. His weapon of choice glinted dully from the soft light of the realm.

"Not in the slightest," Akari scoffed and gripped her new item with both hands.

"Yeah," Zenjirou held up his Xros Loader triumphantly and paused in thought. He lowered his volume and looked to Akari. "What do we do now? We don't have any Digimon to DigiXros or evolve."

"I noticed," she whispered back. She bit her lip nervously. "Should we try the same tactic as last time?"

"That men* cost me 4,600 yen! How do think I'd feel after losing more of my stuff?"

"Better after you live," Akari countered as she reached for his bag. _Bamf!_ They cried out and dropped the bag as it burst into violet flames.

"My stuff!"

"Do you really believe I'd let you make a fool out of me again with the same trick?" Phantomon's dark aura grew larger as he cornered the teens. "It's about time I finish you off. WORDS OF DEA-"

"Spin Caliber!"

The reaper Digimon suddenly crashed into a nearby standing of brick that brought forth a cloud of dust and dirt. Purple-colored dragon Digimon yelled out his triumph along with his much smaller partner, "Good job, Arresterdramon!"

"That's Tagiru," Akari realized. "Which means Taiki and Yuu are..."

"Akari! Zenjirou!"

Enveloped in a warm, familiar hug, Akari blushed brightly at the sight of her childhood friend. She schooled her expression as best as she could and released his grip on hers. Her mouth formed into a disapproving pout at the goggle-head, "What took you so long?"

"Sorry about that," Yuu apologized as he came up from behind him with Shoutmon and Damemon in tow. "One pink-cheeked idiot took the wrong bus."

"Hey, I thought it was the number 6!"

"I told you we were taking the 9, dim-wit!"

Their spat was interrupted by Arresterdramon being thrown back by the force of Phantomon's scythe swipe. Akari and Zenjirou reacted quickly and nodded to one another before they brought forth their Xros Loaders, "Taiki let us borrow Cutemon and Ballistamon for a minute."

"Wha? How did you guys…?"

"There's no time for that, Taiki!" Akari interjected.

"Right, sending you Cutemon and Ballistamon now."

"I'm going to be working with Akari!" the pink, bunny-like Digimon cried with joy as he appeared on the girl's screen.

"I'll serve you faithfully, Zenjirou," the beetle-like machine promised as his transfer was completed.

"Time for some pay back," the kenshi grinned as Arresterdramon defense against Phantomon's swipes weakened.

"Cutemon!"

"Ballistamon!"

"**Super evolve!"**

"…Bucchiemon!" unlike those they had seen in Heaven Zone, the red fairy Digimon before them retained Cutemon's white headphone cap and red scarf.

"…Bolgmon*!" a massive tank Digimon dropped to the ground which caused a small tremor. The chest plate and other parts that knowledgeable Digimon would have identified as yellow were a crimson red. As one, they fired two shots at Phantomon to knock him away from their ally.

"It seems I've met my match," the ghost Digimon sighed resignedly as they prepared their next attacks.

"Love Laser!"

"Ultimate Thunder!"

Being the nearest, the younger goggle-boy gathered up the golden ring of data that surrounded Phantomon, "Capture complete!"

"We did it!" Akari cheered while she exchanged a high five with her fellow combatant.

"Hey, I thought you guys didn't want to be Hunters," Tagiru wondered as he placed his hands on his hips.

"I never said that," Zenjirou crossed his arms proudly. Having a Xros Loader was the best.

"Did you see me, Akari?" Cutemon leaped into his friend's arms after devolving.

"Yeah," she chuckled and patted his head gently. "You were great!"

"So, the old clock man let you join the hunt?" Yuu mused contemplatively. "Now, why would he do that? He's already mentioned that those with experience from the Digiworld are less than welcome."

"Oh, come off it, Yuu," Tagiru wrapped an arm around his polar opposite's shoulder. "Like I said before, the more the merrier!"

"Thanks for letting us borrow these guys, Taiki," Akari told the leader of Xros Heart. She and Zenjirou were ready to transfer them back to his Xros Loader, but the middle-schooler just shook his head and smiled in his usual way.

"Nah, keep them for now until you've captured more Digimon. With trouble happening as far as here, who knows where else it might sprout up? It will be good to have us spread out like this just in case… You did good, Akari… Oh, and you too, Zenjirou."

"Great!" Akari grinned and pointed finger at the space between his eyebrows. "Then as celebration, you can take me on a date!"

"Sure…" Taiki nodded. He paused, thinking. A moment later, half of his face was red. "Wait, what?"

"I heard about a new restaurant that opened up near my school," she continued. She imagined the cuisine fondly. "It's a little expensive, but I've been told that the food is definitely worth it."

"Er…"

"Come on! Let's get going!" Akari hooked her arm into his and Time Shifted them back to the real world before Taiki could protest again.

"Hoho, another romantic development," a Cheshire smile appeared on Tagiru's face. It was always fun seeing his idol flustered.

"Gah, why can't Meguchi-san do that with me?" Zenjirou whined. He pressed his palms against his forehead in frustration.

"Geez, Zenjirou, always with your new crushes. At least you stopped bothering my sister."

"Yeah, Nene-san is mine, now."

"… No, she's not. You haven't even met her yet!"

"Hey, nothing matters when it comes to love."

"Someone no good in love shouldn't be speaking."

"And what would you know white-poop _mon_?"

"…You did not just go there."

"I believe he just did, curly blonde!"

"_She didn't even blush when our hands made contact!"_

"No good children are no good!"

"Hah, is that all you can throw? I've heard better from Mami!"

"Ahah! So this is about Mami-san now!"

"What? No, I didn't mean it like that!"

"_Well, I know I've only met her a few times, but she should have felt something by now!"_

"Yeah, my partner here only has time for girls that are way out of his league!"

"Right… wait! No, Gumdramon, that's not helping!"

"It's not?"

"Even his Digimon realizes he's no good."

"You've got that right."

"Shut up you, you, you…!"

"Yes, I know my name. What do you think I have? Amnesia?"

"_Maybe I should ask her out…"_

"I know! You and that Airu gal. You totally made her fall for you on purpose!"

"…I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Airu lover~!"

"Quiet!"

"_I'll ask her out today then… But no! I want to see how the team is doing after I left so suddenly!"_

"**Zenjirou!"**

"Eh?"

"**Tell this guy he's in love with Mami/Airu!"**

"…Who?"

"Great way to help, Zenjino. We'll never get home at this rate."

"It's Zenjirou, hammertail!"

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, I'm stopping myself there before the conversation goes out of control. Guess who's who in the dialogue. It's actually quite easy. And see what I did there? I threw in two (three, maybe, four) pairing hints at you guys. Happy? I hope so.

First * I did some research on Kendo equipment and found the actual word for the helmet: men.

Second * Actually supposed to be MetalKabuterimon, but Bolgmon sounds cooler.

No plans for what next. Would you like a date scene, Akaiki fans?


	8. When You Left

Disclaimer: Don't own, and no one cares. So, there

A/N: Whew, finished just in time for Christmas. An Akaiki drabble just for you guys. Merry Christmas Everybody and Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>When You Left<strong>

"Hey, Taiki, take me out on a date."

As a supposed genius, he could figure several different plans to follow in a situation. But on this winter day, middle-school aged Taiki Kudou could find no other option but to spit out the liquid contents from his mouth. He wiped his mouth and placed down his no longer appealing can of soda on the seat of the bench they were sitting on to collect his thoughts. The bright golden eyes of his childhood friend pierced into his soul, hounding him for an answer. He had to say something, "…What?"

"A date," Akari repeated and finally averted her gaze from his. Her face was flushed with embarrassment. "Unless you don't want to go…"

"No, no!" Taiki shook his head, his own cheeks tinted red. "It's fine. Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere is fine, as long as it has good food."

The goggle-boy chuckled, not at all surprised by the girl's mention of food, "We could go to that restaurant we passed by the other day."

"Sounds good," she smiled at him, and his heart felt like it skipped a beat. It passed though, when he saw an odd emotion mixed in. Sadness. Before he could ask, the moment ended, and her expression was just as happy as it had been before her ever asking of a date. "So, this weekend?"

"Yeah, we'll go on Sun –"

"Taiki-san!" the duo turned to see a group of students wearing aprons run their way. They stopped in front of the rumored-prodigy and crowded around him; Akari was left out on the side. Their apparent leader was wearing a tall, poofy chef's hat, "Taiki-san, we need your help! The cooking club doesn't have enough people to complete the required team size in the upcoming competition! Would you please join us? The competition is on both days of this weekend, and we couldn't think of anyone else."

"Oh, sure," Taiki replied before he could stop himself. The sweat beaded on his face as he felt a reproachful glare stab the side of his head. "Ah, oh… no, wait…!"

Too late. They had already given their thanks and instructions and disappeared. Left alone with a scary presence, the Xros Heart general turned to face her and chuckled nervously, "Oops?"

"Oops? Of all the times that you can't turn your back on anyone, it has to be…!" Akari cut herself off and pressed her palms against her forehead. She inhaled and exhaled for a moment to calm herself. Expression neutral, she stood up and looked down at him, hands on her hips. "Okay, let's get started."

"…huh?" he raised an eyebrow suspiciously, nonplused by her calmness.

"It's not like you can decline your request, now," she sighed and gave him the smallest of smiles. "Might as well prep you for whatever is going to happen in that cooking competition. Goodness knows we don't want to have a frantic situation like the last time."

Taiki nodded and remembered how six months ago, Matadormon had pitted his head chef, WaruMonzaemon, against their less than adequate baking skills. Thank goodness Akari had recalled that banana cake recipe. Of course, it had turned into a burnt sweet potato cake, but those are just irrelevant details. They had done that together, and now… "Why don't you join me?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you can be on the team as well, I'm sure they'll have room for one more!" he grinned. "It can be a date!"

"I guess…"

"And if not, I'll just take you out after the competition," Taiki rose from his seat and held out his pinky to her. "Promise."

The corners of her mouth turned up farther, and she intertwined the small digit with her own, "I'll hold you to that."

"So, how are we doing this?" he asked after releasing her finger.

"I have someone in mind."

"You want me to help you learn how to cook properly?" one Yuu Amano questioned them once they had arrived at his doorstep later that day.

"Yup," Taiki and Akari assented in unison. The blonde grade schooler rubbed at his brow in exasperation before nodding.

"Okay, come on in," he gestured for them to enter his more than humble abode. "We might as well get started."

"Thanks, Yuu!" Taiki cheered before making his way past him. Akari was about to follow until she saw the look on the younger Amano child's face. She waited for the gogglehead leave earshot.

"Something wrong?" the redhead asked wearily.

"Have you told him yet?" he queried seriously.

"…"

"You'll have to do it soon, or it'll be too late."

"I know… It's just… I…I'll tell him after the competition on Sunday, okay?"

"Hey," Taiki called over to them from behind the kitchen counter. "What are you standing around for? We need to learn as much as we can before Saturday!"

"Coming!" Yuu replied before he turned back to Akari and lowered his voice. "You just have to tell him. He'll understand. He always does."

"Right…"

The morning of the preliminary round, Taiki Kudou and Akari Hinomoto stood confidently in line next to the rest of the Shinonome Middle School Cooking Club in front of their designated station. For the last few days, Yuu had drilled them on the basics of cooking. Even the intimidating bustling of dozens of young, aspiring chefs in the enormous showroom failed to make them lose the concentration they had on keeping their hammered in knowledge.

"Welcome to sixth annual Shinonome Cooking Competition~!" cheered the announcer at one end of the building by the judges' table. "We have several great groups of kids joining us today from all over the city and beyond. Welcome! This year's first task will be just like its predecessors: creating an ideal meal for the upcoming holidays! Competitors will have until 5pm to come up with the meal's components, cook them, and present them accordingly to the judges. Are you ready?"

"YEAH!"

"Then your time starts now!" DING! The buzzer rang and indicated for the teams to begin.

"It's good that we prepared the recipes beforehand so we can have enough time to cook everything," smiled the head chef of the club before she turned to their newest members. "Taiki-senpai, could you help dice the vegetables with the others?"

"On it!"

"Great. Akari-san, please measure out the ingredients for the pie crusts."

"Of course!"

"Brilliant!" she clapped her hands together, eyebrows knitted in determination. "Let's get busy people! We have only a few hours to make the best meal that we can possibly make."

"RIGHT!"

"Thank you so much for helping us, Taiki-senpai! And you as well, Akari-san!" bowed the entire cooking club the next day as the sun was setting. People from the competition were streaming out of the showroom behind them. Several stopped to admire the large golden trophy in two of the members' arms. The surprise task of day had been to create a diverse dessert tower that contained foods with unique tastes. Akari and Taiki's suggestion to add sweet potato to one of the pastries had intrigued the judges enough to give them the point they needed to win. It goes without saying that they were elated.

"No problem," despite being covered with flour and slightly damp, the childhood friends were just as happy to have helped gain this victory for them. They said their goodbyes and left to decide what was next.

"So," Taiki drew out the 'o' sound as he walked with Akari down the sidewalk of a business district. "Was this a great date, or what?"

"Yeah," she giggled. However, the thought of not having told him yet cut it short, and a frown formed on her lips instead. The Xros Heart general picked up on this immediately and drew closer to her.

"Do you still want to go out somewhere?" he suggested earnestly. "It's not that late yet. We could still go to that restaurant."

"I'm not sure if they'd accept us like this," Akari indicated their flour-dusted selves as the white substance clung due to the water that had been accidently spilled on them earlier. "I kind of just want to go home and wash this all off."

"Oh, okay, I guess… I'll just walk you there?" Taiki asked. He was answered by a nod and silence, a silence that stretched on for half of the way to Akari's house.

"Taiki."

"Yes, Akari?"

"I'm moving."

"That's…!" Taiki stopped mid-stride just behind her, his face was morphed into shock.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Akari muttered, her back to him. "I was just…"

"When?" he was solemn now.

"In a week. Saturday," she turned to him, eyebrows scrunched up in her effort to keep the tears back. "It's to the neighboring town. My parents want me to attend the private school there. I didn't tell you sooner because I was scared. Scared of how you'd react. I'm… I'm sorry… I just… I just…"

Taiki pulled her into a tight hug as salty droplets streamed down her cheeks. Akari sobbed into his shoulder for what felt like an eternity and mumbled her apologies over and over again. He patted her head comfortingly, "It's alright. I'm just glad you told me."

"No, you're not!" she interrupted through her crying. "You don't want me to leave. Who will help you study for the next activity that you get pulled into? Who will keep you from hurting yourself when you collapse from exhaustion? I can't help but feel worried at the thought at being too far away to help you!"

"You're right," he agreed, his eyes shiny.

"Of course I am you idiot!" Akari half-scoffed/half-chuckled as the tears slowed to a stop. She brushed them away, which smudged her face with flour.

"It isn't that far away. It's like a half-hour long bus ride, right? We can always visit one another."

"We could," she admitted and broke away from the hug, embarrassed.

"Come on, let's get you home," Taiki hooked his arm around her shoulder and led her away, the sun at their backs as it disappeared under the horizon.

Less than a week later, the group, consisting of Taiki, Kiriha, Nene, Yuu, and Zenjirou (who had come from the town over), finished celebrating Akari's going away party. The moving truck was parked in front of her now empty house and waited to be followed by the family van. Her siblings already inside, Akari was the last outside. She took one last look at her former home and then met gazes with each of her friends before they fell upon the gray eyes of her best friend. Taiki stepped forward and smiled that grin of his that always made her heart beat so fast.

"So, Christmas Eve?" she asked as she rubbed her forearm.

"Definitely," he drew nearer.

"Promise?" a step closer.

"Promise," their foreheads touched as they wrapped their pinkies together.

"UGH, JUST KISS ALREADY!" groaned out an exasperated Akane from his window seat. Faces burning, Akari and Taiki broke apart.

"Ah, it's a date then," Akari planted a small kiss on his cheek before she ran into the van and closed the door. Taiki was left touching his cheek where her lips had made contact with his skin, his face a color that should not have been possible. As the car started forward, the redhead rolled down her window and waved goodbye to everyone. "Taiki!"

"Y-yes!" he stuttered and ran to keep up with the car.

"I'll call you tonight and tell you what the house is like, so don't go exhausting yourself until then! You hear me?"

"Crystal clear, Akari!" Taiki shouted back and stopped as the vehicle rounded a corner. He was looking forward to the call. "Crystal clear…"

* * *

><p>AN: My take on how Akari went to a new school. I figured that also meant she moved to the neighborhood where it was. And I don't know. I really like the AkarixTaiki pairing. I'm going on vacation for a week, so I don't think there will be any updates anytime soon until I come back. Next up, a story about Tagiru.


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